Bajaj Auto Ltd’s campus has received an innovative addition to the entrance, a canopy which exudes a sense of openness and creates a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. The initial idea behind this design was to seamlessly integrate sustainable elements as an ode to the environment while keeping innovation in mind. The architectural design of this structure turns the canopy into an efficient rainwater collector which is used for irrigation and other non-potable purposes in order to diminish the campus’ reliability on municipal water sources.

Eco-Conscious Construction
The Canopy’s structure was innovatively made using tensile fabric membrane sheets which are composed of environmentally friendly, recyclable materials. These shields can effectively be used to substitute materials that act as shade and provide shade and robust protection against several weather elements. In an attempt to minimise the excessive use of artificial sources of light, transparent or translucent panels were thoughtfully used to harness natural light in abundance.

One of the advantages of using steel for such projects with respect to the structural framework, is that they can easily be pre-fabricated at the workshop and then transported to the site to be assembled. This process contributed to the facilitation of manufacturing the components with their precise dimensions and details.

Dhananjay Dake, Creative Director, Construction Catalysers Pvt Ltd, mentions, “A major challenge we faced was the installation of the canopy since it was a structure of 70 m Dia with a single support. During the execution stage, scaffolding and supporting cranes played a major role. They had to act in tandem to negate the brutal forces to balance the 35 m cantilever.”

Blend of efficiency and innovation
The membrane roof is said to be lightweight and versatile, which helped functionally achieve this unique structure. These sheets cover large spans of column-free spaces, that helped reduce the ecological footprint of this project. Such structures are designed with a target to be assembled quickly and are portable. FEA and CAD were used to derive accurate structural member sizes and surfaces.

Fact File
Project: Entrance Canopy for Bajaj Auto Ltd, Pune
Client: Bajaj Auto Ltd
Architecture: Rahul Kadam, Pune
Consultant: Construction Catalysers Pvt Ltd
Project Management: Across Nodes Transit Solutions Pvt Ltd
Steel Fabricator: Construction Catalysers Pvt Ltd
Steel Supplier: Jindal Steel & Power; APL Apollo
Current Status: Completed

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